Bruce Boudreau
Bruce Boudreau (born January 9, 1955 in Toronto, Ontario) is the current head coach of the Washington Capitals. As a player, Boudreau played professionally for 20 seasons, logging 141 games in the National Hockey League and 30 games in the World Hockey Association. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, and Minnesota Fighting Saints. Playing career While Boudreau's major professional career was modest, he had a long career in the minor leagues, and was one of the most prolific minor league scorers of all time, largely in the American Hockey League. Spending most of the early part of his career with Maple Leaf farm teams (Dallas Black Hawks, New Brunswick Hawks and St. Catharines Saints), Boudreau also spent significant time playing for the Springfield Indians (for whom he won his only scoring championship, in 1988), the Fort Wayne Komets and the Nova Scotia Oilers. He remained a star and top scorer right through his final season in 1992. His final game came in Springfield, where he had been signed by the Adirondack Red Wings as an emergency injury replacement during their first round Calder Cup playoff series against the Indians. Boudreau remains the 14th leading all-time goal scorer in the AHL with 316, also currently 11th in assists with 483 and 11th in points with 799. For the minor leagues as a whole, Boudreau is 8th all time with 1368 points, and 13th in both goals and assists with 548 and 820 respectively. Coaching career After his playing days were over he began a successful coaching career. Boudreau has coached the Muskegon Fury, the Fort Wayne Komets, the Mississippi Sea Wolves, the Lowell Lock Monsters, the Manchester Monarchs and most recently, the Hershey Bears. Under Boudreau's leadership, the Hershey Bears won the 2006 American Hockey League Calder Cup Championship. The Bears made it all the way back to the Calder Cup Finals under Coach Boudreau again in 2007, ultimately falling to the Hamilton Bulldogs. Previously, Boudreau coached the Mississippi Sea Wolves to the ECHL Championship in 1999, and also led the Fort Wayne Komets to the IHL Finals in 1994. On November 27 2007, Bruce Boudreau left his functions of head coach of the Hershey Bears; he had just been called up to replace Glen Hanlon, who had just been fired, behind the bench of the Washington Capitals. Initially called up as interim, on December 26, the Caps changed their mind and made him their permanent head coach. It was a much understandable move that paid off - Boudreau finished his rookie campaign behind the Caps' bench with a 37–17–7 record, a particularly impressive feat as he inherited of a lacklustre team that had a 6-14-1 record prior to his tenure. Boudreau's good work continued on the next season, as he helped the Caps not only secure a first playoffs spot in five years, but he did it brilliantly with a Southeast Division title on top of it, a first for Washington in seven years. Washington lost in seven games to the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round, but it was the beginning of brighter days for the franchise. Boudreau saw his good work being highlighted when he was nominated for, and won the Jack Adams Award. Miscellaneous While playing for the Johnstown Jets early in his career, Boudreau had a minor role in the hit hockey movie "SlapShot", appearing briefly wearing the green sweater (#7) of the opposing Presidents against the Hanson brothers' Chiefs. Titles and awards As player As coach * Won the Calder Cup in 2006 with the Hershey Bears. * Won the Jack Adams Award in 2008 as the Washington Capitals head coach. References * * Category:Canadian ice hockey players Category:Toronto Marlboros players Category:Johnstown Jets players Category:Minnesota Fighting Saints players Category:Dallas Black Hawks players Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players Category:New Brunswick Hawks players Category:Cincinnati Tigers players Category:St. Catharines Saints players Category:Baltimore Skipjacks players Category:Iserlohn ECD players Category:Nova Scotia Oilers players Category:Chicago Blackhawks players Category:Springfield Indians players Category:Newmarket Saints players Category:Phoenix Roadrunners (IHL) players Category:Fort Wayne Komets players Category:Adirondack Red Wings players Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches Category:Fort Wayne Komets coaches Category:Muskegon Fury coaches Category:Mississippi Sea Wolves coaches Category:Lowell Lock Monsters coaches Category:Manchester Monarchs coaches Category:Hershey Bears coaches Category:Washington Capitals coaches Category:Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks Category:Minnesota Fighting Saints draft picks Category:Born in 1955 Category:NHL coaches Category:1955 births